I’m trying something new. I put a Canon 500D closeup lens (screw on the front) on my Canon 70-200 mm L III lens yesterday, and was amazed how close it let me get. So, I saw this Dragonfly in the flower garden, and was taking some shots about 2-3 feet away from me maybe, and I was hoping to get him in flight. I missed that, but he flew right below me (I was on knees), and I got this shot at probably a foot from the end of my lens.
Specific Feedback Requested
It is almost full frame. Is it tight enough, or would you crop it a bit more?
Technical Details
Is this a composite: No
Canon 7D Mark II, Canon 70-200 mm L III lens with Canon 500D closeup lens, HH, at f10, 1/1600, ISO 640 (set up for flying Dragonfly). Edited in LR and Topaz AI.
I might slice the leaf a bit more (in front), but it’s a great portrait and yeah…those eyes! It looks a bit overall green to me, but that could just be the OOF foliage and the intense color of the dragon itself. Nicely done. And I’m happy your experiment worked out. I play with my long lenses like this, too, but haven’t put any close up filters on them.
The experiment seems to have worked well, Shirley. There is a lot of green and yellow/green there, but enough different shades to make it interesting. Nice
Shirley, love the experiment and it looks quite successful to me. IMHO, I wouldn’t crop any more. The way you’ve cropped it, give the Dragonfly space, if you crop it more, to me, it would have more of an abstract feel to it. The detail is amazing and I like the diagonal composition. Just curious, did you use a tripod?? Great idea, very nicely seen and captured.
Thank you @Kris_Smith , @terryb and @linda_mellor for your kind comments. Linda, I hand held it, but I had the shutter speed cranked up to 1/1600 hoping to get him in flight. You have made me think a bit though that I might want to keep it up fairly high for a shot this close, as any camera movement would definitely show up. Again, thank you all.
Great capture @Shirley_Freeman Shirley, I feel I am invading his private leaf. The focus point on the eye was perfect. They will fly as soon as you move the camera away from him, never fails
